When Stars Rain Down

I received a free electronic copy of this excellent Southern historical novel from Netgalley, author Angela Jackson-Brown, and Thomas Nelson, publisher. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read When Stars Rain Down of my own volition and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Ms. Jackson-Brown writes a compelling tale with empathy and grace. She is an author I am happy to recommend to friends and family. It's small-town Parsons, Georgia in 1936 and Opal Pruitt is looking forward to her 18th birthday. Raised by her grandmother Birdie from infanthood after her mother ran away, Opal has little experience with life as we know it today, and Grannie is very protective of her. She is also cosseted by her maternal uncles and kin to most of the families in Colored Town, just down the road from Parsons. After completing a basic education Opal quit school and began to accompany her grandmother to the home of Miss Peggy, Birdie's best friend and employer. Peggy and her son Jimmy Earl were true friends to the Pruitt family, and Opal is slowly taking over her Granny's role in the upkeep and maintenance of their home as both Birdie and Peggy slow down with the aches and pains of age. Social necessities that came down through the years in the south affected both blacks and whites. There was a way things were handled in those days between the races that must be followed, honored on both sides of the equation, but many people were able to get beyond that. Birdie and Peggy lead the way to finding friendship and equality, despite the local presence of the KKK and a family of whites who refused to see that the world had changed around them. Opal grows up fast, encountering both the sudden attraction of boys and victimization, but she doesn't let it warp her spirit or her view of the life she wants to live. These are people you will enjoy meeting, and sharing time and memories with. This is an author I will follow.